Define Custom Lists Dialog Box

By defining a Custom List you can define exactly which items appear on the Timeline. For example, you can include all default items and add a few User Items, you can remove some default items and replace them with your own versions, or you can make a List with just a few selected items to demonstrate a particular point.

Prerequisites for use: A Timeline tab is the activeClosed The application, window, tab, or other screen element which is currently being used; sometimes called the "front" or "frontmost" screen element tab.   

Use: The Define Custom Lists dialog box is used to modify the pre-defined Custom Lists, and create your own Custom Lists. A Custom List can be any combination of items from the default list supplied with the Timeline, and user items which you have created. The Custom List is then available in the Custom List pop-up menu of the Define Item Layers dialog box.

Description: The dialog box has two main areas. The top area lists currently defined Custom Lists and is used to edit or create new ones, and rearrange their order. This area is also used to select which standard items to include in the list. The bottom area is used to choose which User Items are displayed.

Do one of the following:

  • From the Items pop-up menu, choose Define Custom Lists.
  • On the Display menu, choose Define Time Layers>Custom Lists.
  • If extra items are currently displayed on the Timeline, from the Items pop-up menu, choose Convert Items to Custom List.
  1. Open the Define Custom Lists dialog box.
  2. Click New to create a new Custom List. [New name] is added to the list and the Name box.

    To remove the new list click Delete.
  3. In the Name box, enter a name for the Custom List.
  4. Choose the items to include in the Custom List.
  5. Click OK. The Custom List is saved.

Hint

If items on the Custom List are not displayed even after choosing the List in the current Item Layer, check the Time Range of the Item layer and displayed regions in the current Region Layer. If your Custom List items are outside either of these ranges, they will not appear.
  1. Define an Item Layer to display the items included in your Custom List.

Example: You can set the display of markers for all classes of items, then duplicate the layer and hide some classes, or use a Custom List without having to reset all the display options.

List of Custom Lists (Top Left): Displays any Custom Lists already defined for use with the Timeline. The Custom List last used when this dialog box was closed is selected when the dialog box is reopened. Click a Custom List name to display its current settings in the dialog box. You can then edit the settings for that Custom List.   

List Buttons: Used to arrange the names in the list and on the pop-up menu.

  • New: Adds "new name" to the list and in the Name box, and resets the rest of the settings to their defaults.
  • Duplicate: Creates a copy of the selected Custom List. The duplicate Custom List is automatically given the same name, followed by a number (for example XXX.1 and XXX.2 for the same list duplicated twice). You can rename the list via the Name box.
  • Delete: Removes the selected name and its settings.

Note

You cannot delete a Custom List as long as it is selected in one of the defined Item Layers.
  • Up and Down Buttons: Click to move the selected Region Layer up or down the list.

Name Box: Used to enter or modify the Custom List name. Adding spaces before the name will indent it on the pop-up menu.

Lists of Standard List Items (top right) and User Items (bottom) have the same functionality.

  • Select an item from the list on the left and click Items» to add that item to the Items selected list on the right. You can also double-click an item to add it to the right side.
  • Use the Go to box to enter one or more letters and scroll both lists to that part of the alphabet.
  • Click All to add all displayed items on the left to the Items selected lists on the right.
  • To remove a selected items from the right list, select an item and click Delete below that list.
  • For all four lists, Shift+Click to select a range of items, or Ctrl+Click to select multiple individual items.

Select Area: Provides pop-up menus for filtering the content of the lists on the left.

  • Items Pop-up Menu: Limits the items in both lists to those which belong to the selected class.
  • In Pop-up Menu: Limits the items in both lists to those which belong to the selected geographic region.
  • Dates Pop-up Menu: Limits items in the Standard Items list (top list) to only those which are appropriate for the selected dates. Available options are Conservative and Critical.

Note

The political periods are items on the standard list. Unless you add these to your Custom List, no periods are displayed in the background, even if the current Region Layer is set to show the political periods. You can add all these periods by selecting Political in the Items pop-up menu, then clicking All above the upper left box.